Tamara Browning: Nurses provide center with needed commodity

A professional group of nurses has been gathering toilet paper each month since last summer to donate to ST. MARTIN DE PORRES CENTER, 1725 South Grand Ave. E.

The Springfield satellite group of the SOCIETY OF UROLOGIC NURSES AND ASSOCIATES has donated the commodity to the center since learning about a toilet paper drive to benefit the center.

TP THE TOWN FOR ST. MARTIN DE PORRES was held last June to benefit the center that helps the needy with food, clothing and household items. Last year’s goal was 1,000 rolls of toilet paper.

“There was a box truck there that was half to three-quarters full at least of toilet paper. That was awesome,” said DAVE BRAHLER, president of St. Martin de Porres.

“Everybody was like, ‘Toilet paper?’ Well, people need it every day.”

A newspaper article about the drive got the local members of the Society of Urologic Nurses “thinking,” said CHARLENE VOLLMER, chair.

“This seemed apropos for us to gather toilet paper each month and take it to St. Martin’s, which we have been doing since,” said Vollmer, a registered nurse at Memorial Medical Center. “They appreciate this commodity, as everyone forgets this and brings canned items, etc.”

Vollmer has supported St. Martin de Porres for years, she said.

“I thought, rather than us supporting with canned goods — and we are a kidney group, urology — well, we might as well be bringing toilet paper,” Vollmer said.

For example, last month, the society donated 18 four-roll packages of toilet paper to St. Martin.

“Without people like that, we wouldn’t be around,” Brahler said.

“Toilet paper is something that we kind of cut back on because of expense, in trying to say, ‘OK, with the monies we have available, how can be best use it?’”

Established in 2009, the local society is a satellite group of the Mississippi Valley Chapter in Missouri. The local members are nurses from Springfield hospitals and clinics, as well as from outlying areas. Sometimes physicians are involved.

Approximately 40 nurses attend monthly meetings at 6 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month at different sites, with a physician giving a talk on urology or nephrology.

“The mission of the group is just to share a presentation of urology material that (the nurses) then can take back to where they work at as they care for their patients,” Vollmer said. “We improve patient care.”